Production of polymerization products from diolefines



Patented Nov. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORG EBERT AND FRIEDRICH AUGUST FRIES, OF LUDwIGsnAFEN- ON-TflE RflINE,

GERMANY, ASSIGNORS TO I. G. FARBE'NINDUSTRIE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, OF.

FRANKFORT-ON-THE-MAIN, GERMANY PRODUCTION OF POLYMERIZ ATION ZERODUCTS FROM DIOLEFINES No Drawing. Application filed December 27, 1929, Serial No. 417,002, and in Germany January 25, 1929.

This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture and production of polymerization products from diolefines.

In the manufacture and production of polymerization products from diolefines, especially butadiene, but also others, such as isoprene and dimethylbutadiene and homolcgues thereof, in the presence of alkali metals, or alkaline earth metals or products containing the same, these being equivalents, in

ticity and homogeneity are obtained which may be worked up by vulcanization into soft rubber-like products of high quality. Usually amounts up to about per cent of the cyclic diether will suflice, although larger amounts may of course be employed. As a rule not more than 5 per cent of the said addition is employed.

The said polymerization may, if desired, be carried out in the presence or absence of solvents, or diluents, such as benzene, benzines, ether or the like.

The polymerization products thus obtained are excellently suitable for the production of films, threads etc. distinguished by great insensibility against heat and stability to light, for example b giving them the desired form and .then ardening them by the action of heat or by treatmentwith sulphurizing agents.

The following examples will further il- I lustrate the nature of this invention, but the invention is not restricted to these examples.

The parts are by weight.

Example 1 A mixture of 2460 parts of butadiene and 125 parts of dioxane is heated to about 0.

our hands.

E rample 2 4000 parts of butadiene are polymerized in a rotary autoclave by the agency of 12 parts of sodium dust, with an addition of IO parts of dioxane. The reaction sets in very rapidly at a temperature of about 60 C. and is completed in about 2% hours. A polymerization product of excellent quality is obtained.

\Vhat we claim is:

1. In the production of polymerization products of diolefines by polymerization in the presence of an alkali metal, the step of working in the presence of dioxane.

2. In the production of polymerization products of diolefines by polymerization in the presence of an alkali metal, the step of adding a small amount of dioxane.

3. In the production of polymerization products of butadiene by polymerization in the presence of sodium, the step of adding a small amount of dioxane.

l. A process for the polymerization of butadiene, which comprises treating butadione with sodium dust in the presence of dioxane at a temperature of about 60 C.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set GEORG EBERT. FRIEDRICH AUGUST FRIES. 

